Erlenbach lies at the foot of the 317 metre tall Kayberg in the lower Sulmtal in the eastern part of district of Heilbronn. Neighbouring Erlenbach are Heilbronn and Neckarsulm to the west, Eberstadt to the east, and Weinsberg to the southeast.
Subdivisions
Erlenbach is composed of two formerly separate villages, Erlenbach in the east and Binswangen in the west.
History
Both Erlenbach and Binswangen are supposed to have been founded in 500 by the Franks and Alamanni, respectively. Erlenbach was first mentioned in the Codex Hirsaugiensis in 1130 as a gift to the Hirsau Abbey. The first record of Binswangen is in a charter on 8 November 1176 from Pope Alexander III. At this time, both communities were under authority of the Lords of Weinsberg. Later, both communities were transferred from the Archbishopric of Mainz to the Teutonic Order on 27 May 1484 as part of the Bailiwick Franconia. After the dissolution of the monastic states of the Teutonic Knights in 1805, they came under control of Württemberg and were placed under district authority of Oberamt Neckarsulm, which was renamed Kreis Neckarsulm in 1934. The communities Erlenbach and Binswangen officially combined under the name Erlenbach on 1 April 1935. On 1 October 1938, after the dissolution of Kreis Neckarsulm, Erlenbach was placed in the Landkreis Heilbronn. The population was counted at 2137 people in 1939. During the population growth and resulting construction activity after World War II, Erlenbach and Binswangen have grown together to form a single village.
Religion
Erlenbach is predominantly Catholic, having two Catholic parishes: St. Martinus Erlenbach and St. Michael Binswangen. The was dedicated in 1965.
Places of interest
Churches
St. Martinus
The Catholic parish St. Martinus in Erlenbach was rebuilt between 1753 and 1760 in late Baroque style on the site of an older Martinskirche. The Baroque parish-house was built in 1781 by Franz Häffele.
St. Michael
The Catholic parish St. Michael in Binswangen was built by Ludwig Bronner in 1788 on the site of a 1578 predecessor and was dedicated in 1818. The reason for the relatively long time between construction and dedication is largely unknown.
Every year, the music club in Erlenbach arranges a Spring concert and, every two years, a serenade in the marketplace as well as a church concert in the St. Martinus church. Additionally, it is the main organizer of the Original Erlenbach Wine Festival.
